Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District

09/02/2026

For SASWCD's last "County Women in Farming" column, published in last Wednesday's The County weekly newspaper, we featured Liz Wehmeyer of Keep Ridge Farm in Benedicta. Keep Ridge raises pastured pork and meat birds that they process on-farm and grow a variety of vegetables, under the distant gaze of Mt Katahdin. They sell at their on-farm store and each Saturday at Houlton Community Market. Stop by and meet her and her family and check out all of their offerings!

09/01/2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/us/wendell-berry-dead.html
Wendell Berry - "Returning to his home as a place to write for the rest of his life was a way to insure, to himself, that he would always be bound by the truth, Mr. Berry said in a phone interview in 2018 for this obituary.

“It made a permanent connection between me and my native place, and with its landscape,” he said. “The landscape was there to check me if I was wrong. I could never go away and make up stuff at cocktail parties about the backwoods of Kentucky. I worked with people here in all walks of life and learned from them. It’s been a very rich experience.”

A Kentucky farmer, he railed against agribusiness and championed small family farms and the environment, winning widespread acclaim.

09/01/2026

TheMaine Data Center Advisory Council Listening Session 2 will be held this evening on Zoom from 5-7pm. SASWCD attended the first listening session and found it valuable to hear the public's concerns and suggestions for the council. If you value Maine's natural world (like stumbling upon these gorgeous groundnuts growing along the stream) and want to be a part of how the state plans for the future of data centers, then listen in and/or join the public comments. FMI and to register for online session: https://www.maine.gov/energy/opportunities/public-meetings/maine-data-center-advisory-council-listening-session-2-tue-sep-1-2026

08/19/2026

SASWCD's W**d Wrench is the perfect tool for pulling up small invasive shrubs, like this Japanese Barberry I noticed along the road. I used the w**d wrench to pull it after Monday's rain, et voila! Available to borrow here at the SASWCD office.
You can learn more about identifying invasive plants at: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invasives.htm

08/14/2026

The SASWCD is back in The County newspaper in August. writing about woman farmers in Southern Aroostook as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer. This week features potato farmer Erica Fitzpatrick Peabody. You can read about her farming life here:

If you grew up in Aroostook County and are of a certain age, you know firsthand just how integral agriculture was within the fabric of communities.

08/12/2026

SASWCD's Nature-based Shoreline Stabilization demo last Friday was inspiring. Landscape ecologist Rebecca Jacobs led the group in the ways of using natural materials for long term benefits to both the shoreline and waterbody. Many thanks to Kathleen Tomaselli of Bangor Daily News for doing such a great write up of the event. https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/08/08/aroostook/aroostook-environment/southern-aroostook-living-shoreline-erosion-control-joam40zk0w/
National Association of Conservation Districts

Environmental protection scientists are learning that “living shorelines” can be more sustainable in the long run than seawalls or rip-rap.

08/03/2026

Interested in learning some basic ways to enhance your lake's shoreline through plants and natural materials? Join SASWCD this Friday for a shoreline stabilization workshop at Nickerson Lake, 448 Lake Rd. It's FREE but pre-registration is encouraged: bit.ly/4v2Sg1W The NLWP will be serving up a hot dog lunch after too!
FMI contact SASWCD 254-4126
Nickerson Lake Wilderness Preservation, Inc. Drews Lake Property Owners Association, Inc.

07/30/2026

Thank you Cary Library for inviting SASWCD to be a part of your "Plant a Seed, Read!" summer program. 24 children ages 3-7 had some fun yesterday learning about blueberries, painting "blueberries" in a "bucket", reading a story and, maybe best of all, tasting blueberry cake that was a featured recipe in the storybook. It was fun and we hope to be a part next summer!

07/28/2026

SASWCD wrapped up the final class of our 'July Field Talks' last Thursday at Bark Eater Farm in Hodgdon with owner/grower Jerry Doxtader. Jerry gave an overview of his practice of organic no-till gardening with the types of tools he uses, his bed prep methods, and terminating an oat/pea cover crop with crimping. Thank you to everyone who participated in this series - we had great discussions and I think everyone learned a few things! It is nice to get to know the different kinds of agriculture in Southern Aroostook.

07/23/2026

The Maine Dept of Ag, Conservation & Forestry is proposing to repeal the current emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine. Two public hearings will be held, including one in Presque Isle August 18 (online meeting available too). Written comments accepted until August 28. For more information:

DACF Home → Bureaus & Programs → Maine Forest Service → About Us → Forest Health & Monitoring → Invasive Threats to Maine's Forests and Trees → Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)